Type Two Diabetes - “Some artificial sweeteners can raise your blood sugar”

[Richard-Allen]

When a person develops liver cirrhosis or reaches end-stage liver disease. There is a chance that the liver may become insulin resistant. (There are other causes as to why a person can become insulin resistant).

The Liver is the body's sugar factory and one of the 500-functions the liver performs is the production and conversion of sugar into glucose. This is then released into the bloodstream so our muscles and tendons have enough food to burn off the glucose as fuel.

The levels of the amount of glucose in the bloodstream are carefully monitored by a specialised gene called the CRTC2 gene (Also known as the “Switch Gene”), this is a protein and does act as a switch to produce more sugar in fasting situations and is down-regulated when abundant sugar is present. Levels change in type 2 diabetes and this can make the hyperglycemia worse.

What’s most interesting is that the signals that act through this molecule are linked to a protein called calcineurin which is activated and causes the liver to make more sugar. The calcineurin levels increase in insulin-resistant states. CRCT2 is found in many cells including immune cells, heart, spine, brain and even in the placenta. Some studies suggest it can be found in liver cells too. It’s also down-regulated in some cancers.

However, calcineurin is also in immune cells and is linked to growth and functional responses. So some anti-rejection medications used after transplant, target calcineurin to dampen down anti-graft immune responses. Tacrolimus and Cyclosporin are calcineurin inhibitors. So there might be a connection between anti-rejection medication and the function of CRCT2. This is all still rather new, and medical research is still very much on-going.

I, like so many people, started taking artificial sweeteners in tea and coffee, and sprinkling it on breakfast cereal, when I was first diagnosed as having type II diabetes. The advertisers told us how these sweeteners were all safe and were a much better alternative to sugar in diabetes control.

(I should point out that some people with type II diabetes have been able to reverse their diabetes post-liver transplant and are now no longer diabetic. But we aren’t all the same).

There has recently been a few articles appearing in the media about the use of some artificial sweeteners namely Saccharin and Sucralose that have been found to actually increase blood sugar levels.

This I feel should be of interest to those people who may be dieting due to fatty liver, or those (like me) who are still trying to control their diabetes.

More about this study can be found in this article published in the “NewScientist” dated 19th Aug 22, “Some artificial sweeteners can raise your blood sugar” can be found here: newscientist.com/article/23...

This is just for information only.

[Hidden]

Very interesting Richard 🤔

[AmericanDemocrat]

Thanks for this, Richard. I knew about the other dangers of the little blue, pink and yellow packets, but this info is new to me and so important! Appreciate you sharing.

[teletonetapper]

As always Richard, a very informative post.

[Hidden]

Thank you for this post! I didn't understand half of it as not good with medical terms but I'm a diabetic on insulin with liver cirrhosis and I've became resistant. I cant get my sugars down whether I avoid certain foods, starve myself etc.. they just wont come down. I dont use sweeteners but I am interested in advice how to try control my sugars with cirrhosis.I'm struggling to get a gp, diabetes nurse, consultant etc to actually give me time of day to sit down and discuss this. Unsure what's causing liver cirrhosis, all medical people are just throwing tests at me and focussing on this till they know something. I need to know how to control very high sugars with cirrhosis.

I was wondering based on your information or experience how can I manage this? Thank you

[Richard-Allen in reply to Hidden]

You have raised some good points here. I’m not medically trained, but just use my own personal experiences and share some of the knowledge I’ve gained over the years.

When I suffered a variceal bleed back in 2014, I went on to become a type II diabetic some four months later. For the next two years, I received very little support and what information I did receive was wrong. I ended up on insulin twice a day, and no one could tell me if I was a type one diabetic or a type two. They said I was a bit of both.

I knew I now had end-stage liver disease through alcohol abuse, but why I should suddenly become diabetic was a mystery. I was assigned a local diabetic nurse and in the end, I just lost faith in her. Her attitude was non-plus and I was just another diabetic person. I wanted to understand what was going on and I would always ask questions.

I was told by the nurse, “It’s your pancreas not producing enough insulin”. So the poor pancreas was being blamed. I knew that alcohol can also cause damage to the pancreas, but this was never checked. This didn’t make sense to me. However, I realised that my liver was now covered in scar tissue and that the insulin might not be able to get through. Knowing that my liver had become insulin resistant made a lot more sense than blaming it on the poor pancreas.

In 2017, after I had had my liver transplant. I decided to have my diabetes monitored at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. After all, this was the place where I had been re-born following my transplant, so I thought it best to have my new liver and diabetes monitored at the same hospital.

When I had an appointment with a diabetes consultant, I kept on asking questions and wanted to understand more. I think he became annoyed with all my questions as he finally just said, “Why do you want to know so much? You’re a type II diabetic, just accept it”. He then refused to answer any more questions.

I always believe that knowledge and understanding can be a great help in accepting something. Once a person can understand something, they can then learn to accept it, get closure, and move on. This then helps the mental healing process.

I don’t know if you happen to know the QE Hospital Birmingham at all, but I was told that my liver donor had been a local man. If ever you had to go to this hospital by train, then the next stop up the line from the University is Bournville, the home of Cadburys Chocolate. I’m convinced my donor was once a worker there. Since my transplant, I’ve developed a naughty chocolate problem, which really doesn’t help my diabetes.

Never be afraid to ask questions. In fact, some doctors like it as they feel you are taking an interest in their chosen field of medicine.

Sorry, I can’t help you with your diabetes, ask to be referred to a diabetic consultant. It might take a while to get an appointment, but hopefully, you’ll get to learn more about your condition.

Finally, over on the top right-hand corner of this page, you’ll see the HealthUnlocked search bar. Just type in “Diabetes” and see if any of the other HealthUnlocked sites can be of help.

Good Luck.

Richard

[Hidden in reply to Richard-Allen]

Thank you for your reply Richard! I was first diagnosed with liver disease back in 2008... after investigations ( and practically being told I was an alcoholic by a doctor which I never drank) I was then diagnosed with diabetes. I was so Ill at the time I was admitted to hospital, diagnosed with T1 and put on 2 types of insulin. Over the years I put on quite a bit of weight and had a diabetes nurse tell me I'm T2... so on my records in T1 with gp and T2 with diabetes nurse! I was told to loose weight and I wouldn't need to take insulin as I was inflicting on myself- lost 5 stone but was then told by consultant I'm T1 and still need insulin.Gained a bit of weight during lockdown due to gym being shut and apparently I was T2 again.

Since cirrhosis im guzzling insulin ( as well as not eating properly for fear my sugars will be higher if ate) and it seems insulin isnt really making a difference. They come down into teens for a bit and shoot back upto 20s again. Night time is more difficult. Everytime I speak to a nurse about my diabetes I feel like I'm just one of those people who cause a drain on NHS.

I'm Sheffield but I cant really fault hospitals here. Before covid they would see me- I'm lucky if they ring me back these days.

My issue is having diabetes and cirrhosis is exhausting! I have to figure out which symptom is for which diagnosis so I can either ring up hepatology or diabetes centre. I'm not sure if my diabetes is destroying my liver or other way round. I'm sick of seeing different medical teams for different issues because they dont communicate between each department so I'm like a broken record having to explain who said what.

I used to take my kids to Cadbury world all time when they were young! Loved it! It's a shame doctors cant tell you more on your donor- theres a sense of gratitude I would want to personally thank their families for saving you ( I'm not there yet but I'd love to know history on person to save me)

I understand how you feel constantly being told your T1 then T2. My mum is diabetic ( metformin) and my daughter is diabetic too ( insulin) I think its genetic but that's another test which drains the NHS. They dont want to get to bottom of it- just throw a diagnosis at me and stick with it!

I hope your ok now and I watched a documentary a few years back where patients who have had transplants do develop something which they feel has been passed from their donor. Interesting! But whoever had died to give you that liver is a Life- saver, an incredible person and his family will be proud, unknowingly ❤